The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise adequate and sustainable funding for public universities, warning that consistent underfunding remains the root cause of recurring strikes and the declining global ranking of Nigerian universities.
ASUU made the call during a closed-door session with the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund at the National Assembly on Friday.
The ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, who represented the union, said the ongoing two-week warning strike, which began on October 13, stemmed from unresolved issues dating as far back as 2011.
“We engaged the Federal Government for eight years without tangible results,” Piwuna lamented. “The Yayale Ahmed Committee report, submitted in December 2024, was ignored until this industrial action began.”
Demands Remain Unchanged
Professor Piwuna reaffirmed that ASUU’s key demands remain the same: sustainable funding, improved conditions of service, revitalisation of public universities, and academic autonomy.
He challenged the Senate to push the Federal Government to invest meaningfully in education, asserting that doing so would permanently end the cycle of strikes.
“Try us,” he told the lawmakers. “Push government to fund universities adequately, and you’ll see the end of strikes and improved global rankings for Nigerian institutions.”
The ASUU president also raised concerns about delays in the release of funds already approved by the National Assembly.
According to him, although ₦150 billion was approved for universities, only ₦50 billion has been released so far — and even that amount, he alleged, remains stuck at the Ministry of Education.
He accused the ministry of attempting to share the funds among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, despite each sector having separate budgetary allocations.
“The ₦150 billion was approved specifically for universities. It must be used for that purpose alone,” he warned.
ASUU Cautions Wike Over University of Abuja Land
Meanwhile, the union has raised alarm over alleged attempts by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to acquire part of the 10,000 hectares of land belonging to the University of Abuja.
“We are worried because the University of Abuja is in the FCT. Anyone serious about education should focus on developing it, not taking its land,” ASUU said in a statement.
“If the minister wants land, he should look elsewhere. We appeal to the Senate to intervene and prevail on the minister to leave the university’s land alone.”
Lingering Issues and Government Response
ASUU’s ongoing strike comes amid unresolved disputes over the 2009 FGN–ASUU Agreement, lecturers’ welfare, revitalisation funding, and the release of withheld salaries.
The Federal Government, however, insists that it has met all major demands raised by the union and remains open to further dialogue. It has also invoked the “no work, no pay” policy against lecturers participating in the strike.
Despite this, the union maintains that only genuine and sustained investment in public universities can deliver lasting industrial peace in the education sector.
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